Naringenin-loaded pHEMA cryogel membrane: preparation, characterization, antibacterial activity and in silico studies

Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) (pHEMA) is a cheap biocompatible polymer. It is used in many studies as drug carrier systems, including nanoparticle hydrogels and cryogels. Naringenin (Nar) is a natural bioactive compound and has antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant activities. Its use in treatment is limited due to its low water solubility and bioavailability. In this study, Nar was successfully loaded into pHEMA membranes and inhibited bacterial colonies. Nar-loaded/unloaded pHEMA membranes were characterized by FTIR and SEM. Additionally, the biocompatibility of the membranes was tested on human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) cells, and their antibacterial properties were tested against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Nar was successfully loaded into the membranes. It was determined that after loading Nar, the pores of the membranes became smaller (average 5.7 µm) and more regular. It was determined that the prepared Nar-loaded pHEMA membranes completely inhibited bacteria and showed biocompatibility against HDFa cells. The binding affinity of the Nar to various Staphylococcus aureus proteins (PDB ID:3U2D, PDB ID:4H8E, PDB ID:3VSL, PDB ID:5YHG, PDB ID:6U3Y, and PDB ID:1JIJ) was found to be highest for PDB IDs 1JIJ and 5YHG at − 8.3 and − 8.5 kcal/mol, respectively, while the lowest binding affinity was observed for PDB ID:4H8E at − 5.2 kcal/mol.